All You Need for This At-Home Glute Workout Is a Pair of Ankle Weights

With all their complex levers and pulleys, some gym equipment can leave you scratching your head in confusion. Thankfully, it doesn't take an expert to figure out how to use a pair of ankle weights — just make sure you're using them safely.

When used for glute exercises, through, they may be just the kick in the butt you need to add challenge to your lower-body workouts. So, strap on a pair of weights and enjoy the booty-building benefits.

Read more: The Only 4 Exercises You Need for Strong, Sculpted Glutes

Especially if you're using ankle weights for the first time, there are some safety tips you need to keep in mind. The number one tip is to avoid walking around while wearing them, according to Holly Perkins, CSCS, author of Lift to Get Lean and creator of The GLUTES Project.

"I still see people put ankle weights on their feet and then they walk around. That's like old school 1970s, by the way," Perkins says. "The human body is not built to have a 5-pound foot. Our mechanics can really be thrown off if you're using ankle weights to walk around in."

If you're want to go for a walk with added resistance, Perkins recommends trying a weighted body vest instead. In general, you'll want to avoid any movement with ankle weights aside from the exercises. "Treat them like a dumbbell and be safe."

When it comes to selecting the amount of weight, Perkins recommends starting out with two to three pounds per ankle weight, especially if you're doing abduction exercises. You can increase the weight with time or for other moves. You can also buy adjustable ankle weights that allow you to add or remove resistance.

Generally, with ankle weight exercises, you want to work against gravity to get the most muscle-sculpting benefits. This will help increase the resistance on the muscle, Perkins says. Since gravity is pushing down, you want to move the ankle weight up.

"If you can imagine standing upright and putting an ankle weight on your foot, then kicking backward, that's not actually effective because the weight is not working against gravity," Perkins says. "So ankle weights are fabulous if you position your body around gravity so that the ankle weight is working directly against gravity."

Read more: 4 Exercises to Make Your Butt Look Bigger — No Squats Required

Once you have a pair of ankle weights, try this four-move butt workout right at home. Flow this circuit once, twice or even three times to get a great lower-body burn.

Move 1: Side-Lying Abduction

1. Wear your ankle weight on your right ankle and secure the weight so it doesn't shift during exercise.
2. Begin lying on your left side, legs straight and stacked one on top of the other.
3. Vertically align your hips and straighten your spine. Rest your lower arm on the floor, using it to support your head.
4. Exhale and raise your right leg several inches while keeping your hips in alignment.
5. Inhale and lower your right leg back to the starting position.

Reps: 15 on each leg

Move 2: Glute Kickback

1. Secure the ankle weight to your right ankle.
2. Get down on all fours with your hands directly beneath your shoulders and knees directly beneath your hips. Keep your back flat and arms fully extended.
3. Flexing your right foot and keeping the knee bent, raise your right knee up behind you until your right thigh is parallel with the ground.
4. Squeeze your glutes at the top and slowly lower your right leg to the starting position.

Reps: 15 on each leg

Move 3: Fire Hydrant

1. Secure the ankle weight to your right ankle.
2. Get down on all fours with your hands directly beneath your shoulders and knees directly beneath your hips. Keep your back flat and arms fully extended.
3. Keeping your knees bent and hips squared to the floor, lift one knee out to the side like a dog peeing on a fire hydrant.
4. Lower back down to the start.

Reps: 15 per leg

Move 4: Leg Lift Tap Side-to-Side

1. Secure the ankle weight to your right ankle.
2. Get down on all fours with your hands directly beneath your shoulders and knees directly beneath your hips. Keep your back flat and arms fully extended.
3. Extend your right leg out behind you.
4. Engage your glute and lift your leg up and out to the right side to tap the floor.
5. Lift again and cross your body to tap your foot on the left side of your body.

Reps: 15 per leg